How to cancel your home security system

Whether you’re canceling your home security system because you’re moving, want to save money, or just looking for a change, you shouldn’t have to go through hoops to make it happen. So, we’ve compiled a list of some of the biggest home security brands’ cancelation policies in order to make the process as painless as possible.

Our take on returning home security equipment

We’ve tested, canceled, and returned equipment for many home security companies, and the return and refund policies are pretty similar across the board. Most providers—both DIY and professionally installed ones—will offer a trial period, which is usually around 30 days. If you’re not satisfied within that timeframe, you’ll generally be able to cancel and return your equipment for a full refund. For DIY systems, that means disassembling and shipping them yourself. For professionally installed systems, a technician may come to your home to retrieve the equipment.

How to cancel Abode home security

Abode doesn’t require credit checks and it doesn’t have contracts, so it’s easy to cancel services if you decide you no longer need them—all you need to do is fill out a simple form to cancel service. All paid subscriptions auto-renew on the date you sign up each month.

If you experience buyer’s remorse, you can return your equipment and cancel your service within your first 14 days with a full refund. But if you cancel after the first two weeks, your payment for that month is non-refundable, and you won’t receive a refund on your equipment. The service will continue until the end of the month.

If you don’t want to cancel your system but would prefer a different monitoring plan, Abode lets you switch easily. For example, if you have the Pro plan but want to downgrade to Standard, you can do so at any time during the month—however, the downgrade doesn't take effect until the date you signed up (on any given month). Again, you won't get refunds for the time you've already paid for.

How to cancel ADT home security

ADT requires a contract of either 36 or 60 months: 36 if you purchase your equipment outright, and 60 if you finance it. So before you think seriously about breaking the terms of your contract, you’ll want to know how many months you have left and whether you still owe a balance on your equipment.

By canceling early, ADT can charge you up to 75% of your monthly fee for every month remaining in your contract. And you’ll need to pay for your equipment if you still owe anything. So for anyone with more than a month or two remaining, the cancelation fee can be staggering.

However, if you’ve had your ADT system for fewer than 30 days and experience buyer’s remorse, you can cancel with a full refund, and a technician may come to your home to disassemble your equipment. If you’re not in that trial window, it’s worth calling ADT and asking about upgrades or other options to make your experience more enjoyable.

To cancel your ADT service, call 800-716-3640 and speak to a representative.

How to cancel Alder home security

Alder requires a minimum of a 12-month contract and rolls your monitoring and equipment costs into your monthly fee. Alder doesn’t provide clear information on the cost or options of buying out a contract, but you should expect to pay for the remaining cost of your equipment if you do so.

If you return items within the first 30 days of your contract, Alder assesses a $50 restocking fee, but no other charges accrue. Note that the 30-day window begins the day you place your order, not the day you activate the equipment.

To cancel Alder, call 844-442-5337. But, you’ll want to be prepared to speak with multiple representatives and turn down service-transfer offers (which would transfer your service to a friend or family member) and/or upselling attempts.

How to cancel Arlo home security

Arlo doesn’t require contracts, and it has a 30-day return policy. Initiate a return on Arlo.com or on Amazon.com, depending on where you bought the system. If you choose to cancel after the first 30 days, you can easily do so, but won’t receive a refund on your equipment.

If you’re an Android user, you can cancel your subscription right on the mobile app. Click on “settings” and tap on “subscription.” Then, click on “change plan.” Select the service(s) you want to remove or add, and follow the onscreen instructions.

If you're an Apple user, you'll have to visit Arlo's website on a computer and log into my.arlo.com. Click on “settings,” then “subscription.” Then, click on “cancel subscription” at the bottom of the screen. Follow the onscreen instructions to cancel your plan.

Bear in mind all your recordings in the Arlo cloud get deleted immediately. So don't forget to save your recordings and download them before canceling or modifying your subscription.

How to cancel Blue by ADT home security

Blue by ADT is the now-defunct DIY arm of the full-service ADT offering. (1) Unlike the traditional ADT service, Blue by ADT doesn't require a contract, and you can cancel without having to pay any penalties. If you’re not happy with the system, you can return it within the first 30 days for a full refund of your equipment.

Canceling Blue by ADT is quick and painless. Simply call 877-632-7657 and speak to a representative.

How to cancel Brinks home security

Brinks requires a 36-month contract to finance equipment and monitor your home—unless you’ve added Brinks’ professional monitoring onto the now-defunct Nest Secure. Read your terms of service carefully to understand your termination fee. But essentially, you’ll be responsible for any unpaid balance on your financed equipment, and your professional monitoring service will be canceled after 30 days.

To cancel Brinks, you’ll need to call 800-447-9239 and speak with a representative, who will explain the 30-day cancellation process as well as what you should expect to see on your final bill. After this phone call, you’ll complete the process via DocuSign.

How to cancel Cove home security

Since Cove doesn’t require its users to sign a contract, you can cancel the service at any time without paying a penalty. Cove allows you to return the system in the first 60 days and receive a full refund if you aren’t satisfied.

However, If you chose not to pay for the equipment up front when you signed up for Cove, you’ll need to pony up for the remaining cost of your equipment. To cancel Cove, call 855-268-3669 and speak with a representative.

How to cancel Frontpoint home security

Frontpoint offers a 30-day free trial and doesn’t require contracts. If you’re unhappy with the service, you can call 855-705-5071 to cancel and get a full refund on your equipment within the trial period—but be ready to turn down aggressive retention offers. After your first 30 days, you can still cancel, but you will not receive a refund on your equipment.

How to cancel Ring home security

If you cancel Ring, you can either do so online from your account portal or by calling 800-656-1918 and speaking to a representative.

Ring doesn’t require users to sign contracts to use its equipment, so you can cancel at any time without fees—and you’ll receive a prorated refund on any paid subscription. End your subscription either on Ring.com or Amazon.com, depending on where you started it. Keep in mind that as soon as you cancel your subscription, Ring permanently deletes all recorded videos. If there are any you’d like to keep, be sure to download them before canceling your plan.

If you cancel within the first 30 days of your service, you can also receive a full refund on your equipment. We found that it was easier to complete this process by talking to a representative over the phone. Be sure to stay logged into the app and have the equipment handy to save a bit of time.

How to cancel SimpliSafe home security

SimpliSafe makes canceling services easy, as it doesn’t require monitoring or equipment contracts. Simply make a quick phone call to 888-783-8441 and provide your safeword. SimpliSafe will also prorate the cost of monitoring services and refund payments that have already been processed. If you cancel within the first 60 days, you’ll also receive a full refund on your equipment.

How to cancel Vivint home security

If you bought all your Vivint equipment up front, there’s no contract, so you can cancel service at any time. Just call customer service and be prepared to turn down upselling offers. If you financed your gear and you’re still paying it off, you could be on the hook for every month left on your contract—as well as any remaining balance on your equipment.

You can cancel Vivint service over the phone at 800-216-5232, but be prepared to speak with its loyalty department. Our conversation with them felt low-pressure, but you’ll probably have to turn down at least one offer before you can make your escape. Once you’ve successfully canceled, your system will remain functional for 30 days.

How to cancel Xfinity home security

Unlike some professional-installation home security companies, Xfinity doesn’t require you to sign a contract. As such, there’s no penalty for canceling your service at any time. However, if you didn’t pay for all of your equipment up front, you will need to pay for your remaining balance.

You can cancel your Xfinity home security system by calling 800-934-6488, by chat, or via the cancelation form in your account. If you’ve had your system for less than 30 days, you can also receive a refund on your equipment.